Eaton and Coulomb Technologies plan to combine forces to help accelerate the ChargePoint network of independently owned charging stations in North America.

Under the agreement, organizations or businesses that deploy Eaton's Level II or DC Pow-R-Station technologies will be able to opt into the Coulomb ChargePoint Network. That means organizations that have deployed (or plan to deploy) Eaton stations have the option to be listed on the ChargePoint mobile applications that are already available for iPhone, Android and BlackBerry devices. The applications enable electric vehicle drivers to locate nearby electric vehicle charging stations quickly, by entering an address. Drivers can also use the application to reserve a charging session at the station they plan to visit.

"This collaboration highlights the success of our OnRamp program that has allowed us to work with Eaton to rapidly enable the family of Pow-R-Stations to work with ChargePoint Network," said Pat Romano, president and CEO of Coulomb. "We are also particularly pleased to have the first DC stations available on the Network."

Coulomb already bills itself as the world's largest online global charging network. Currently, the organization "dispenses" approximately 240 megawatt-hours of energy every month to electric vehicle drivers. Two major corporate customers are Google and SAP. That amounts to approximately 1,400 charging sessions per day. The Coulomb OnRamp program is the company's effort to help bring independent charging stations into the network, further extending its footprint.

You can expect more information about the Eaton technology deployments and the ChargePoint on-ramping during the first quarter of 2012.